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HS2 progress 2020 and beyond
- Thread starter mikejee
- Start date
- Status
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
The Yellow jackets, orange lights and Hs2 warning signs have reappeared at Dunton island this morning. Lots of activity.
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
Radiorails
master brummie
If it is the be the main depot then there would need to be a fair acreage to allow for maintenance and servicing of the trains. But from most of the information this is taking place on former railway land not a motor vehicle one - unless of course the Washwood Heath plant, currently under demolition - was built on the Wolseley site of course.
www.gov.uk
www.birminghamupdates.com
First look at HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site
Ahead of HS2 Ltd beginning construction of a train maintenance depot in Washwood Heath, demolition of a former railway works in Birmingham is now well underway.
First look at HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site - Birmingham Updates
The demolition of a former railway works in Birmingham is well underway as the site is prepared for the construction of HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site. The demolition covers a site larger than 110,000 square metres and is being carried out by HS2 alongside their early works contractor...
www.birminghamupdates.com
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
We probabley know the site as LDV in Drews lane. The maintenace depot will cover the old Royal Mail, GEC (METRO CAMM) and Parkside industrial est.If it is the be the main depot then there would need to be a fair acreage to allow for maintenance and servicing of the trains. But from most of the information this is taking place on former railway land not a motor vehicle one - unless of course the Washwood Heath plant, currently under demolition - was built on the Wolseley site of course.
First look at HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site
Ahead of HS2 Ltd beginning construction of a train maintenance depot in Washwood Heath, demolition of a former railway works in Birmingham is now well underway.First look at HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site - Birmingham Updates
The demolition of a former railway works in Birmingham is well underway as the site is prepared for the construction of HS2’s Washwood Heath depot site. The demolition covers a site larger than 110,000 square metres and is being carried out by HS2 alongside their early works contractor...
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
The Metr-Cammel became GEC-Alsthom and then Alsthom. sold to or moved to France. If you google Metro Cammell in Google there is a lot of info about the takeovers etc.
oldMohawk
gone but not forgotten
Interesting snippets of news about building it more quickly and at lower cost
news.sky.com
HS2: Chinese firm says it can build rail project in five years and at much lower cost
The China Railway Construction Corporation tells UK government the "Chinese way is to seek solutions, not linger on obstacles".
news.sky.com
HS2: UK in talks with China over construction of high-speed line
China's state railway company says it could build the line in just five years, according to reports.
www.bbc.co.uk
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Eric Gibson
master brummie
I'm pretty sure the Chinese government own it all and are not constrained by objections about historic sites or environmental considerations.
Heartland
master brummie
I wonder if the HS2 historians have done their research. They are very difficult to contact, it would seem. They ask for help then do not reply.
Drews Lane is an interesting site. The name is derived from a water powered flour mill there and there was also an early munitions factory on that site. The building of a car plant may well have removed any residual traces of the munitions factory, but then there may well be bits left to be found when the diggers get to work!
Drews Lane is an interesting site. The name is derived from a water powered flour mill there and there was also an early munitions factory on that site. The building of a car plant may well have removed any residual traces of the munitions factory, but then there may well be bits left to be found when the diggers get to work!
hi heartland i agree with you...we do have a thread for the park st burial ground and not wishing to stray too much off topic but several members have contacted HS2 to ask where the bodies are now interred that were moved from park st...to date no one has received a reply...seems very sinister to me if a simple straight forward question receives no replies to a question that is so important to the history of birmingham and its people...rant over 
lyn
lyn
pistonvalve
master brummie
Why can't we build HS2 rolling stock? Several members of my family worked at the 'Met' Saltley. We used to build rolling stock for the world, what has happened to us!!
Radiorails
master brummie
A good thread about Met Cam, but I suspect its demise was similar to much of Britain's industries: i.e. sold to outside companies and asset stripped maybe.
Metro Cammell Saltley
Did Ron ever work at Brooke Tool Automation? Sorry Richard, just saw this. Not that I know of. After two years in the Royal Air Force he eventually worked at Chrysler/Rootes in Coventry as a draftsman. What he did in the 2-4 year gap between the RAF and Rootes, I do not know. My dad passed away...
birminghamhistory.co.uk
ellbrown
ell brown on Flickr
I got the train one stop on the Cross City Line just to see the Turntable that HS2 has uncovered. From Birmingham New Street to Aston. There was initially an Avanti West Coast Pendonlino in the way waiting to go into New Street, but I just about saw it.
Got some other HS2 photos from the train, I'll post them later.
Got some other HS2 photos from the train, I'll post them later.
ellbrown
ell brown on Flickr
Before the turntable.
View from the train towards Millennium Point.
Towards the Birmingham City University Eastside Campus. This was the site of the short lived student accommodation Curzon Gate.
This was just before crossing Lawley Middleway.
About to pass the current West Midlands Fire Service HQ. Will it have to move again?
They moved this sign to this location. It was previously near Curzon Street Station. The Digbeth Branch Canal is to the left.
View from the train towards Millennium Point.
Towards the Birmingham City University Eastside Campus. This was the site of the short lived student accommodation Curzon Gate.
This was just before crossing Lawley Middleway.
About to pass the current West Midlands Fire Service HQ. Will it have to move again?
They moved this sign to this location. It was previously near Curzon Street Station. The Digbeth Branch Canal is to the left.
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Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
HS2 shuttle project...
www.constructionenquirer.com
HS2 to invite bids for Brum shuttle project
Automated people mover will travel on a 2.4km long elevated viaduct
www.constructionenquirer.com
guilbert53
master brummie
HS2 shuttle project...
HS2 to invite bids for Brum shuttle project
Automated people mover will travel on a 2.4km long elevated viaduct
This is for the HS2 station out by the airport in Solihull.
The HS2 station in Solihull will be quite a distance East from the NEC, Birmingham Airport and the existing Birmingham International train station.
So it will need this long shuttle to move people back and forth between those various sites.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
This is not Birmingham, but found during the progress of HS2. The Iron Age mystery murder uncovered at Wendover...
Iron Age 'mystery' murder victim found in Wendover
A Stonehenge-style wooden formation and a lead-lined Roman burial are also among the finds.
www.bbc.co.uk
guilbert53
master brummie
Just over a week OK I went up to Birmingham taking photos all over the city centre.
One set of photos I took was around the new HS2 station site where a large amount of work is going on.
This is a HUGE site, running from Moor Street Queensway, alongside Moor St station, right out to the Lawley Middleway Ring Road.
Here is an aerial photo I captured from Google maps showing the extent of the site.
Bottom left you can see Moor Street station, and along the centre of the photo (and along the bottom of the HS2 station site) you can see the train line that runs in to New Street station (going UNDER Moor St station).
The far right of the photo is Lawley Middleway, and along the top of the HS2 station site runs Curzon Street.
I have posted 10 photos below,, and to help people understand where I have taken the photos from here is the same map above, but now with numbers 1 to 10 on it showing where I stood to take the photo, and the direction I was pointing.
Below, here is photo 1. Taken from Moor Street Queensway looking roughly East all along the length of the HS2 station site.
This was a hard photo to take as most of the site is surrounded by a high wall, I had to stand on something to give me enough height to take the photo. You can see the old Curzon Street station in the distance
Below, here is photo 2. Again taken from Moor Street Queensway looking roughly East but I have zoomed in to get more of the site. You can see the old Curzon St station more clearly here.
Below, here is photo 3, taken from Park Street looking roughly South.
As you can see, Park St is now permanently closed off. This road has been used for many people to get in to the the city centre but now traffic has to go on to Moor Street Queensway to get towards the Digbeth area.
Below, here is photo 4, taken from New Canal Street (the Curzon Street station is behind me and the Woodman pub to my right) looking towards the city centre.
As you can see the site is surrounded by high hoardings so it is very difficult to get photos of the HS2 Station site.
Below here is photo 5. Having said about the last photo it is hard to take photos of the site, here is a photo I took again on New Canal Street but through a hole in a metal gate.
Here you can see much of the "front" of the HS2 station site, the part that will be near Moor Street station.
Below, here is photo 6. This is taken on New Canal Street, where Fazeley Street crosses it.
There is a lot of "HS2 Enabling" work going on in this area so as you can see New Canal Street was blocked off in this area.
Below, here is photo 7. This is Fazeley Street where the canal goes under the road (near the old Typhoo Works).
Again you can see this road is blocked off for more "HS2 Enabling" works. As you can imagine these roads closures are causing some confusion for local traffic.
Below, here is photo 8. This is Banbury Street (the Gun Barrell Proof house is behind me) looking towards the city centre.
The HS2 station will be to my right, and ahead of me (and probably above me!)
The Eagle and Tun pub is at the end of the road on the left (with the chimney).
Below, here is photo 9. Again in Banbury Street, a close up of the Eagle and Tun pub.
I could not get a photo from the "front" of the pub as the low sun was shining right in to my camera lens.
Below, here is photo 10 (last photo). This is the Woodman pub.
As you can see, more work going on around the pub. I think this was BT (Openreach) laying high speed broadband cables, I assume for use by the HS2 station at a later date.
If you look to the left of the pub you can see down New Canal Street and you can see the amount of work going on with cones and barriers everywhere.
So hopefully with the photos I have taken you can get some idea of the huge amount of work going on to build this HS2 station.
I know there are anti HS2 people around but in the long term this must be good for Birmingham.
My daughter and her boyfriend have just come back from over a year in the Far East (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan etc) and all these countries have got High Speed trains.
Most European countries have got far more High Speed train track than the UK. If we don't do things like this we are in danger of being left behind, particularly with the anti-air travel protests likely to increase in the coming years.
One set of photos I took was around the new HS2 station site where a large amount of work is going on.
This is a HUGE site, running from Moor Street Queensway, alongside Moor St station, right out to the Lawley Middleway Ring Road.
Here is an aerial photo I captured from Google maps showing the extent of the site.
Bottom left you can see Moor Street station, and along the centre of the photo (and along the bottom of the HS2 station site) you can see the train line that runs in to New Street station (going UNDER Moor St station).
The far right of the photo is Lawley Middleway, and along the top of the HS2 station site runs Curzon Street.
I have posted 10 photos below,, and to help people understand where I have taken the photos from here is the same map above, but now with numbers 1 to 10 on it showing where I stood to take the photo, and the direction I was pointing.
Below, here is photo 1. Taken from Moor Street Queensway looking roughly East all along the length of the HS2 station site.
This was a hard photo to take as most of the site is surrounded by a high wall, I had to stand on something to give me enough height to take the photo. You can see the old Curzon Street station in the distance
Below, here is photo 2. Again taken from Moor Street Queensway looking roughly East but I have zoomed in to get more of the site. You can see the old Curzon St station more clearly here.
Below, here is photo 3, taken from Park Street looking roughly South.
As you can see, Park St is now permanently closed off. This road has been used for many people to get in to the the city centre but now traffic has to go on to Moor Street Queensway to get towards the Digbeth area.
Below, here is photo 4, taken from New Canal Street (the Curzon Street station is behind me and the Woodman pub to my right) looking towards the city centre.
As you can see the site is surrounded by high hoardings so it is very difficult to get photos of the HS2 Station site.
Below here is photo 5. Having said about the last photo it is hard to take photos of the site, here is a photo I took again on New Canal Street but through a hole in a metal gate.
Here you can see much of the "front" of the HS2 station site, the part that will be near Moor Street station.
Below, here is photo 6. This is taken on New Canal Street, where Fazeley Street crosses it.
There is a lot of "HS2 Enabling" work going on in this area so as you can see New Canal Street was blocked off in this area.
Below, here is photo 7. This is Fazeley Street where the canal goes under the road (near the old Typhoo Works).
Again you can see this road is blocked off for more "HS2 Enabling" works. As you can imagine these roads closures are causing some confusion for local traffic.
Below, here is photo 8. This is Banbury Street (the Gun Barrell Proof house is behind me) looking towards the city centre.
The HS2 station will be to my right, and ahead of me (and probably above me!)
The Eagle and Tun pub is at the end of the road on the left (with the chimney).
Below, here is photo 9. Again in Banbury Street, a close up of the Eagle and Tun pub.
I could not get a photo from the "front" of the pub as the low sun was shining right in to my camera lens.
Below, here is photo 10 (last photo). This is the Woodman pub.
As you can see, more work going on around the pub. I think this was BT (Openreach) laying high speed broadband cables, I assume for use by the HS2 station at a later date.
If you look to the left of the pub you can see down New Canal Street and you can see the amount of work going on with cones and barriers everywhere.
So hopefully with the photos I have taken you can get some idea of the huge amount of work going on to build this HS2 station.
I know there are anti HS2 people around but in the long term this must be good for Birmingham.
My daughter and her boyfriend have just come back from over a year in the Far East (Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan etc) and all these countries have got High Speed trains.
Most European countries have got far more High Speed train track than the UK. If we don't do things like this we are in danger of being left behind, particularly with the anti-air travel protests likely to increase in the coming years.
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